Amen. All right, we're there in Revelation, chapter number 4, and like I said tonight,
I'm preaching a special sermon, a stand-alone sermon, entitled A High View of God, and I'd
like you to notice there in Revelation, chapter 4, that the Bible, when you read and study
the Bible, and when you look at Scripture, specifically, whenever we get a view of God,
we always, in Scripture, get a high view of God. In Revelation, chapter 4, verse 1, we
have a very unique chapter in which we get a view into the throne room of God. If you
notice, verse 1, it says, After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. Of
course, this is John on the isle of Patmos. He has been given a vision of, he's going
to be given a vision of the events that will take place at the end of the world, but before
that, he gets a view into the throne room of God. The Bible says, A door was opened
in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was as a word of a trumpet talking with me,
which said, Come up hither, and I will show you things which must be hereafter. And immediately
I was in the Spirit, and behold, I want you to notice in verse 2, he says, A throne was
set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Here we have John getting a view of the throne
of God in heaven. He's going to describe it for us, and I want you to notice, whenever
we get a description of the throne of God, the purpose of the description is always to
give us a high view of God, is to show us the grandeur, the majesty of God. It says
there in verse 3, And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone. And
there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about
the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders
sitting clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out
of the throne proceeded, just try to get this vision in your head, out of the thrones proceeded
lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before
the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea
of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne and round about the throne were
four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the
second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast
was like a flying eagle. And the fourth beast had each of them six wings about him, and
they were full of eyes within. And they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy
Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. It's interesting to me that when
John gives us a description of God, he goes into this detail. And really Revelation chapter
4 verses 1 through 11, the entire chapter is a short chapter, and it's what we would
call a transitional chapter. Nothing really happens in this chapter except for the fact
that we get a description of the throne of God. And we are told that he that sat was
like a jasper and a sardine stone. We are told that there's a rainbow round about the
throne. We are told that lightning proceeds out of the throne, proceeded lightnings and
thunderings and voices. We are told that there is a sea of glass like unto crystal that proceeds
out of the throne of God. In the midst of the throne and round about the throne, we
are told are these four cherubims or seraphims, these beasts like a lion and a calf and a
man and an eagle. And all they do day and night is they proclaim the glory and the power
and the majesty of God as they cry out, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was and
is and is to come. I'd like you to keep your place there in Revelation. We're going to
come back in this direction here in a minute. But go with me if you would to the Old Testament
book of Isaiah in one of the major prophets. You'll see the big books of the major prophets
in the Old Testament. Isaiah chapter 6. If you open up your Bible, just right in the
center, you'll probably follow in Psalms. After Psalms, you have Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Solomon, Isaiah. Isaiah chapter number 6. This phrase, a high view of God, is something
that I've brought up in different sermons and brought up in different ways. I don't
know that I've ever preached an entire sermon on it. And I'm going to do my best to try
to help you understand. Sometimes I feel like my wife and I will have these conversations.
You see, we started this church 11 years ago. And when we started this church, most
of you were not here. And many of the things have transpired over the last 11 years. I
think what happens is sometimes that as the founding pastor of a church, we start this
thing with certain beliefs and certain thoughts. And there are certain things that we believe
about God. And those things mold and guide and direct the way we do things, the decisions
we make, the things that we allow and don't allow, accept and don't accept. And sometimes
I wonder when I see a disconnect between what we believe and what maybe the generation coming
after us does when I look at what we did when we were young, when we were younger, and I
see the generation coming up. And by generation, I mean the next generation physically, but
I'm also talking about new converts coming in. And sometimes I wonder if we have failed
to maybe give them the, not the rules and not the description of what we believe, but
to really help them understand where we derive what we believe. And I think that this idea
of a high view of God, you may think it's not a big deal. You may think it's not something
that's hard to grasp. And I don't think it's something that is hard to grasp. But what
I want you to understand is I believe that one of the reasons that we see so much nonsense
in churches today, I'm not talking about the liberal church, I'm talking about independent
fundamental Baptist, King James only, soul winning churches. We see a lot of worldliness,
a lot of nonsense coming in to conservative churches is because there is a lack of a high
view or a proper view of God. You say, what do you mean? I mean, I just don't believe
that preachers would be mounting the pulpits of America today wearing skinny jeans and
flip flops if they had a high view of God. If they understood who God was and they understood
what God expects of us. And I'm just telling you, and I'm just using this as an introduction
tonight, when you study, whenever you get a glimpse of God in the Bible, you always
get a very high, holy, lifted up view of God. You're there in Isaiah chapter 6, look at
verse 1. Here we have another famous passage where Isaiah sees the throne room of God.
You'll notice it's very similar to Revelation chapter 4. In Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 1,
the Bible says this, and I like this. He says, in the year that King Josiah died, Josiah
was a good king. And in the year that King Josiah died, I'm sure that when Josiah died,
there was many people that were worried about the next political leader and what would happen,
who would the next king be, and what would that king do. But it's almost like God is
trying to tell Isaiah and the children of Israel, hey, it doesn't matter who the political
leader is. He says, because in the year that King Josiah died, Isaiah says, I saw also
the Lord sitting upon the throne. Aren't you thankful that no matter what the president,
who the president of the United States is, or who the political leaders in power are,
that God is always upon his throne? He said, I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne.
Notice how Isaiah describes him. He says, high and lifted up. He said, I saw him high
and lifted up and his train filled the temple. He says, above it stood the seraphims and
each had six wings. With twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet
and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and said, notice, you'll see the similarity
that we saw in Revelation chapter four. They said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory. Notice verse four. Just notice the description. And
the post of the door moved at the voice of them, of him that cried. And the house was
filled with smoke. When Isaiah gets a view of God, he says, as they spoke, as they cried,
holy, holy, holy, he says the post of the doors moved. They shook with the power of
the voice being said. And I just want to point out for you and I just want to highlight for
you that when John gets a view of God, he sees him high, holy and lifted up. When Isaiah
gets a view of God, he sees him high, holy and lifted up. You're there in Isaiah? I'd
like you to go to Ezekiel if you would. Ezekiel chapter one. You're in Isaiah. You're going
to go past Jeremiah, past Lamentations into Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter number one. In Ezekiel
we have again, yet again, another prophet who gets a view of the throne of God and we
get the same picture painted for us. Whenever you see a picture of God in the Bible and
obviously no man has seen God, we understand that, but when his entourage is described
for us, it is described as high, it is described as holy, it is described as lifted up. Ezekiel
chapter one and verse twenty-six notice what the Bible says. Ezekiel one twenty-six says
and above the firmament, and I don't have time to go through Ezekiel chapter one, but
in Ezekiel chapter one we have the prophet Ezekiel, the hand of the Lord comes upon him
and he gets a vision. He actually sees a tornado approaching him and it's a vision of the throne
of God and God coming to meet him and he says that above the firmament that was over their
heads was the likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone and upon the
likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man above upon it and
I saw the color of amber and the appearance of fire round about with it and from the appearance
of his loins even upward and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were
the appearance of fire and it had brightness round about it as the appearance of a bow.
That's the same rainbow that we heard described in Revelation four that it is in the cloud
in the day of rain. So was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the
appearance of the likeness of the, notice his wording, of the glory of the Lord. And
when I saw it I fell upon my face and I heard the voice of one that spake and he goes on
to tell us what he heard. I just want you to notice Ezekiel gets a view of God and he
says you know what I saw? I saw the glory of the Lord. He said I got a high view of
God. Isaiah gets a view of God and he says he was high, he was lifted up and he was holy.
John tells us that he saw this entire episode of a day in the throne of God and he saw him
high, holy and lifted up. Go if you would to Hebrews, Hebrews chapter ten towards the
end of the New Testament. If you start at the book of Revelation and head back, you've
got the book of Jude, third, second and first John, second and first Peter, James and Hebrews.
Revelation, Jude, third, second and first John, second and first Peter, James and Hebrews.
Hebrews chapter number ten. I'm just telling you if Christians had a high view of God,
they wouldn't try to make their church services seem like a nightclub. They had a high view
of God, they wouldn't make their church services focused on entertainment instead of being
focused on the preaching of the word of God. We have a culture today, a so-called Christian
culture that to be perfectly honest with you has a very low view of God. They do not speak
of God in a reverent way. They do not speak of God in a holy way. I mean all throughout
the Bible I just want you to understand that God expects us to have a high view. The Bible
tries to describe for us that we should have a high view of God and yet today you talk
to Christians and they talk about God as the man upstairs in a very irreverent way. When
Jesus told us, He said, when you pray, He said you should say these words, hallowed
be thy name. Your name is to be sanctified. Your name, God tells us in the Bible, He says
thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. Why? Because we are to see God
and respond to God and revere God in a very high way. Esteem Him high, holy and lift it
up. But Christians today have a low view of God. I want you to notice Hebrews chapter
10, there's another verse here that kind of illustrates this high view of God. Hebrews
chapter 10 and verse 31, the Bible says this, it is a, notice this word, fearful. It is
a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. When the Bible describes this
God, it describes Him as powerful. Someone to be feared. Someone to be in awe of. To
be in reverence of. To look at Him and understand His glory and His power and I understand that
you and I cannot see God and we will not see God but the Bible gives us enough of an explanation
of God and who God is to expect us to have a high view of God. Now you might ask, well,
why is this important and why would you preach this and what is the point of this and here's
what I want you to understand. When we get a high view of God, it will produce some things
in our lives. It will produce some things, it will change some things. In fact, I'd like
to just give you a few things tonight. I'd like to give you three different thoughts
that would, three different things that would be produced in your life if you got a high
view of God. If you believed that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
living God. If you saw God in the word of God as He is and like Ezekiel would say, I
have seen the glory of the Lord. I'd like to just give you three thoughts tonight and
I encourage you to write these down on the back of your course of the week. There's a
place for you to write down some notes. You're there in Hebrews chapter 10. Go to Hebrews
chapter 12 if you want, just a couple of chapters over Hebrews chapter 12. We're talking about
a high view of God. What does it mean to have a high view of God? What does it mean for
in your own life, in your own mind, in your own heart to really get a high view to see
God as high, holy and lifted up. Well number one, a high view of God produces proper standards.
See in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 28, the Bible says this, Wherefore we receiving a
kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby, notice these words, we may
serve God, notice this, acceptably, whereby we may serve God acceptably, notice with reverence
and godly fear. See if you and I got a high view of God, you would be concerned with what
is acceptable to God. See if you and I got a high view of God, we wouldn't have to,
like independent fundamental Baptists are often accused of, preach a bunch of checklists
about what you can or cannot wear, what you should or should not do or where you should
or should not go. We wouldn't have to give you, see over the years I've kind of struggled
with this idea because I've thought, you know, why is it that some people have an understanding
of what is appropriate and other people don't have an understanding of what is appropriate?
But what I've learned is this, that some people have a high view of God and when you have
a high view of God, then you begin to be concerned with what is acceptable to God.
Because if you get a high view of God, the Bible says that we may serve God acceptably
with reverence and godly fear. Go to Ephesians chapter 5 if you would, Ephesians 5. Let me
just highlight this idea for you. Ephesians chapter 5, you got Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
Acts, Romans, 1, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians. Here's what I'm saying, if you
get a high view of God, you will begin to be concerned with what is acceptable to God.
You won't ask questions like, what's wrong with? Why can't I wear that? Why can't I watch
that? Why can't I drink that? Why can't I miss that? Why do I, see, when we ask questions
like, well how short does my hair have to be as a man? And what's not acceptable as
a length of hair for a lady? And how long does the skirt have to be? And how tight could
we get away with? And when we start asking questions like that, all that reveals is that
you don't have a very high view of God. Because if you had a high view of God, you would want
to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Ephesians 5 and verse 10 says
this, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. See, a high view of God doesn't ask
the question, what's wrong with it? A high view of God asks the question, what's right
with it? A high view of God doesn't say, what can I get away with? A high view of God
says, what is acceptable unto the Lord? What is pleasing unto the Lord? A high view of
God, ladies, does not look in the mirror and say, well what can I get away with without
a pastor preaching against me? A high view of God looks in the mirror and says, what
could I wear today that would be pleasing to God? What could I wear today that would
be acceptable unto the Lord? See, a high view of God doesn't say, well I better go to Sunday
night church on Mother's Day or a pastor is going to preach again. No, no, a high view
of God says, what could I do on Sunday night that would be acceptable to God? What would
be pleasing to the Lord? See, the truth is this, when you get a high view of God, you
realize, you realize, keep your place there in Ephesians, we're going to come back to
it, but go back to Revelation chapter 4 if you would. Years ago when I was a very young
man, my wife and I had been married maybe just a few months. There was a man in our
church, an older man that I respected, he asked me this question one time we were out
having dinner and he asked me, what is the purpose of the Christian life? And, you know,
I've never really been asked a question like that and I said, I mean, the purpose is, and
I rattled off a list and I'm not against the list, I'm for the list, I'm still for the
list today. You know, I, well go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday
night and read the Bible every day and pray and go soul winning and, you know, this is
what God wants us to do and all of that was true. Remember he responded, he said to me,
yes, all that is true, but, you know, the Bible says, and he quoted for me Revelation
chapter 4 and verse 11. We read the whole chapter and the whole chapter in the context
you see this high view of God. And in verse 11, the Bible says about God who is high,
who is holy, who is lifted up, it says, thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor
and power for thou has created all things. Notice this, when you get a high view of God,
you will understand this with every fiber in your body. It says that thou has created
all things and for, here's the takeaway, I mean, here's the application. John gives
us 10 verses of describing the throne of God, the one sitting upon the throne, the things
coming out of the throne, the greatness of God, these beasts, he goes into detail of
how they're crying out to God, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was and is
and is to God. And John gives us this whole scene of heaven and he says, here's the point,
when you get a view of God, you realize that he has created all things and for thy pleasure,
they are and were created. When you get a high view of God, you realize that your life
is to bring God pleasure. When you get a high view of God, you realize that your life is
not to see what you can get away with, but to see what brings honor to God. See, when
you get a high view of God, you don't choose between the bad and the good. You choose between
the good and the best. When you get a high view of God, you don't try to figure out,
well, where's the line of worldliness and what's the closest I can get to the world
with not being in the world? See, a high view of God says, how can I get close to God? The
high view of God says, what's the best choice? What's the wise choice? What is it that would
be pleasing to the Lord? See, I wish, especially you young people, I wish I could teach you,
I wish I could teach you that there are some places you shouldn't go. I can try to describe
them for you. There are some places that you walk into and it's dark and there's flashing
lights and there's music blaring. You say, pastor, what are you describing? I don't know
what I'm describing. I'm just telling you, that's not a good atmosphere. I don't care
if it's a restaurant. I don't care if it's a casino. I don't care if it's a movie theater.
I can give you the things to tell you, hey, this is not a place where Christian should
be. But honestly, I'm not trying to give you a checklist because if I have to give you
a checklist, I have to give you a checklist for the rest of your life. I just wish some
of you would get a high view of God. You got a high view of God, you'd no longer feel comfortable
going down to the lake, going down to the beach, hanging out with a bunch of naked people.
You think you wouldn't have to explain this to independent Baptist, but it seems that
you have to explain to them that when you go down to a place where a bunch of people
are running around in their underwear, you must not have a very high view of God because
I'm here to tell you something that's not pleasing to God. Hanging time with a bunch
of drunkards is not pleasing to God. Being around places that are worldly and that look
worldly and that feel worldly and that are blind, you say, are you against restaurants?
I'm against some restaurants. How do you teach that? I don't know how to teach that,
but I'm going to try to teach you this. Why don't you have a high view of God? Why don't
you realize that God is high, holy, and lifted up, that He has created all things, and for
thy pleasure, you and I were created. And when we realize that, we'll get a proper view
of standards. Sometimes people ask, why don't you have this kind of music? And we could
go into a very technical, a very sophisticated, a very specific reason as to why we don't
play certain music or have certain music or why we don't allow certain things. But honestly,
the answer to the question is this, because we have a high view of God. Why do you have
certain dress standards? Pastor, why don't you allow people to walk up on the platform
without a shirt and tie? Because you want to be fancy? No, because we have a high view
of God. I'm not special and you're not special, but God is special and God's word is special.
And doing the work of God is special. I just think it might help you in your Christian
life if you've got a high view of God. It might help you clear up all those standard
issues where you're constantly just, well, what's wrong with it and what's the closest
I can get to and why? And just tell me what, you know. The Bible talks about the letter
of the law and the spirit of the law. The letter of the law has a low view of God. What's
the least that I can do? What's the least that I can be bothered? What's the least that
has to be done in order for me to get a passing grade? A high view of God says, well, what
is God trying to teach us here? What would be pleasing to the Lord? What would be acceptable
to the Lord? What would God want us to do? If you kept your place in Ephesians, I'd like
you to go to 1 Corinthians if you would. If you're there in Ephesians, just go backwards.
Keep your place in Ephesians. We're going to come back to it, but go backwards from
Ephesians to Galatians, 2 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians. See, a high view of God will produce proper
standards. A high view of God will cause you to care about what is acceptable to God and
will cause you to not want to sin against God. A high view of God will clear up the
matter when you say, I just don't think this is what God wants. I just don't think this
is pleasing to God. I just don't think going out, young people, in a car by yourself when
you're not married, being chaperoned and not being chaperoned and hugging and kissing and
petting, you say, well, what are the rules? Well, there's lots of rules in the Bible,
but you know what? We wouldn't have to go there if you just got a high view of God.
If you just ask, well, is this what God would want? See, a high view of God would cause
you to wake up on Monday morning and ask yourselves, what's pleasing to the Lord? What would be
pleasing to the Lord for me to do today? What would be pleasing to the Lord? Because I was
created for His pleasure. It'll give you a proper, it'll produce proper standards.
Now I want you to notice, secondly, not only will a high view of God produce proper standards,
let me say this, a high view of God will produce a proper view of submission. In 1 Corinthians
chapter 11 and verse 3, the Bible says this, but I would have you to know that the head
in the Bible, whenever you see this term head in reference to an organization like
a church or a family or a government, it's always in reference to a hierarchy, a leadership
structure. The Bible says, but I would have you to know that the head of every man is
Christ and the head of the woman is the man. This is teaching that the husband is to submit
himself to Christ, he's to be the spiritual leader of the home, and that the wife is to
submit herself to her husband, that she is to be submissive unto her husband as her head.
Ephesians tells us as Christ is the head of the church, so is the husband the head of
the wife. And I know people, you know, you say, you're going to preach about this on
Mother's Day. Look, let me tell you something. I don't know why, it's not my fault that
everything the Bible teaches about Mother's Day is controversial in our society today.
We have a whole day, you know, that's highlighted, supposed to be honoring mothers, and then
everything the Bible teaches about mothers, it's like, you can't say that. You can't tell
moms on Mother's Day they should quit working and watch their kids, because that's controversial
and it's mean. It's like, look, everything the Bible says about motherhood is controversial
in our society today, I don't know what you want me to do. I can pretend it's Father's
Day, but, you know, it's like, it's not my fault that we live in a stupid, wicked society
that has a low view of God. Here it says, but I would have you to know that the head
of every, and I'll try to preach it as nice as I can, but I'm not going to lie to you.
But I would have you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and that the head
of the woman is the man, and that the head of Christ is God. I want you to know this
because people will say, you guys, you know, you're some male chauvinist when you teach
that women ought to submit to their husbands, and you're teaching that they're lower than,
and they have less value than their husband. Well, here's the problem with that. The Bible,
in the same context where the Bible tells us that the man is the head of the woman,
it tells us that God is the head of Christ, and that Christ submitted himself unto his
Son. And Christ is not less eternal, less God, but yet he willingly submits himself
to the authority of God the Father. And here's all I'm telling you. If you have a high view
of God, you will understand that there is a chain of command that leads up to God. Notice
the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ
is God. There's a chain of command. There's a leadership hierarchy that leads up to God.
If you understood the high view of God, you would understand that there is a leadership
structure, and at the top of that leadership structure for every human being is God. There's
a chain of command that leads us to God. By the way, let me just say this. When you're
in a chain of command as a leader, your job is to lead others to God. That's why Paul
said, follow me as I follow Christ. See, your job, husband, is to, you say, I'm the head
of the woman. All right, well, you better make sure that since you're the head, you're
leading her to your head, which is Christ. It's a sad state we find ourselves in when
you young people get married and they do less when they're married than they were doing
when they were single. You failed. Do you hear me? You failed. If you were soul winning
more when you were under the authority of your mom and dad, and then you started your
own family, and now you're not soul winning, you have failed as a leader. If your wife
was soul winning more when she was under the authority of her father and mother, and now
under your authority, she was no longer soul winning, no longer reading her Bible, no longer
faithful to church, you failed. Your job as leader then, your job is to lead those
that follow you to Christ. Wives, lead your children. Mothers, lead your children to God.
And fathers, lead your children to God. And husbands, lead your wives to God. And pastors,
lead your congregations to God. See, the chain of command, it ends with God. High, holy,
lift it up. If you have a high view of God, you'll understand that there's a chain of
command that leads us to God. But let me say this. Go back to Ephesians. If you have a
high view of God, you'll understand that all submission is ultimately to God. See, if there's
a chain of command that leads us to God, then you understand that that chain of command
and submission within that chain of command ultimately leads us to submission to God.
When I was in the military, I was in the military for four years. When I was in boot camp, they
had us memorize the chain of command. And when I say memorize the chain of command,
I don't mean memorize the structure of the titles of the command. Obviously, that was part of it.
But they literally had us memorize from where we were to our flight leader to the sergeant
above that flight leader to the sergeant above them to the squadron commanders all the way
up to, at that time, Donald Rumsfeld, who was the secretary of defense, and then up to the
president of the United States. And what they were trying to teach us is that an order from
a staff sergeant carried with it the authority of the president of the United States of America.
Because when you understand a chain of command, you realize that a chain of command is not one link
waving in the air by itself. It is a link that leads you to higher authority, higher authority,
higher authority, up to the highest authority. Now, they understand that in the military.
What I'm afraid is that the average wife in the Christian home does not understand that the chain
of command that God has given you is actually a command that leads up to God Almighty God.
And that submission to human authority is actually submission, and it's ultimately submission
to God himself. And this is emphasized in Scripture. This should not be something new.
Ephesians 5, look at it. Verse 22. Ephesians 5, 22, wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands.
Notice it. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands. Don't miss it. Here's the chain of command.
Here's where ultimate leads, as unto the Lord. You're supposed to submit yourself to your husband.
Why? Under his authority, by his authority? No, it's as unto the Lord. Because there is a chain
of command that leads us to God, and submission within that chain is ultimately submission to God.
Go to Ephesians chapter 6, look at verse 5. It's not just wives, by the way. Let me just say this.
Look, everyone has to submit to someone in some area of their life. I mean, the Bible tells us
that we ought to submit ourselves unto governments. I realize that there are governments that
overstep their boundaries, and when they do that, then we ought to submit to the higher authority.
We ought to obey God rather than men. But when government has not overstepped its boundaries,
we are to submit to government. You say, well, pastor, you know, you're the pastor of the church,
so you don't have to submit to anybody. Well, I have to submit to the cop. I have to submit to the
laws of the land. You say, well, my husband, he's the, you know, he's in charge, and he's always
telling me how he's the head of the home. By the way, husbands, if you constantly have to tell your wife
that you're the head of the home, you're not doing it right. You're not, you know, I got some sermons for you
on the happily ever after series. But, you know, you say, well, my husband, he just, you know, does whatever,
but he has to submit himself to his boss at work. Everyone has to submit to someone, and ultimately,
we all have to submit to God. Notice Ephesians 6 and verse 5, servants. You can just translate this
just for the sake of application. When you see the word servants, think worker, employee. Servants, be
obedient to them that are your masters. See the word master, just think boss, employer. Servants, be
obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh. Talking about here on earth, secularly.
Notice, how are you supposed to be obedient unto your masters? With fear and trembling. What is that?
That's reverence. With fear and trembling, in the singleness of heart, don't miss it, don't miss it,
as unto Christ. Why should I submit to my boss at work? Because ultimately, submitting to your human
God-given authority is submission to God. Because when the President of the United States puts a man
as the Secretary of Defense, and that Secretary of Defense chooses generals to run the different branches
of the military, and those generals choose other military officers to run the different sections and bases,
and those officers choose enlisted hierarchy to run the squadrons and run those different places, and all
of that trickles down to the Staff Sergeant or the Tech Sergeant that's telling you to go clean the latrines.
That authority came from, trickled down from the President of the United States. So you should clean the
latrines as if the President's asking you to. And when you go to work and God has placed a manager, a boss,
someone under human authority over you, then you are to be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh with fear and trembling. Why would I have fear and trembling? Because you'd have
fear and trembling if God told you to do it. With fear and trembling, in the singleness of your heart,
notice, as unto Christ. This is highlighted all throughout the Bible. Look at verse 6.
Not with eye service, as men-pleasers. You know the guy that only works when the boss is watching?
But as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart with good will, doing service,
don't miss it again, as to the Lord and not to men. Because a high view of God will produce a proper view
of submission. If you have a high view of God, you will understand that there is a chain of command that
leads up to God and you will understand that all submission is ultimately to God. All submission is
ultimately to the Lord. Go to Colossians chapter 3. Are there any Ephesians? Past Philippians?
Into Colossians? Colossians chapter 3? We have a website called New IFB Singles where singles from
IFB churches can meet other singles from IFB churches. And on our YouTube channel, Help for the Home,
I've made videos of helping singles and guiding them through the single stages. As a result, we get a lot
of questions. A lot of emails come in from all sorts of people, not just singles. We get a lot of questions
from singles about certain situations in their lives. As I travel, I'll often be asked a lot of questions.
And what I've learned is that the number one question that a young man, a single young man will ask me,
the number one question that I get asked by a single young man is this, how do I know if the girl I'm dating
will be submissive? And young guys will walk up to me and they'll say things like this, my girlfriend
won't submit to me. She won't do what I tell her to do. And I respond, praise God. Good for her.
What? Isn't she supposed to submit to me when you're married? Till then, you're not her boss.
Put a ring on her finger, make a vow to protect her and provide for her for the rest of her life,
then she should submit to you. Till then, she doesn't owe you anything. She doesn't owe you a thing.
Inevitably, the question comes, well then how will I know? How will I know if she's submissive?
And the answer is one. It's one clear answer, period, end of story. If you want to know if the girl
you're dating is submissive, watch her with her father. Because her father is the only God-given
human authority in her life. Of course, I have these conversations. I already know how these
conversations go. I can already tell when young guys walk up to me and they're all, you know,
testosterone up and they're like, I got a question for you, pastor. I'm dating this girl. And I'm like,
I already know. I already know. So I watch her with her father. Well, you understand her father is this
and her father is that and her father is worldly and her father's a drunk and her father blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah. And they give you all these reasons why she can't, why her father is flawed
and why she can't submit to her father. I always give them the advice my father gave me. I always say,
well, when I was 18 years old, the advice my father gave me is the same advice I'm going to give you.
Watch how she treats her father. But you don't understand her father. Her father is this, her father is that.
And this is what I always respond. Her father is what? A sinner? Her father is what? Flawed?
Let me let you in on a little secret. Every young lady and every young man, if they were looking for
an excuse to be rebellious and unsubmissive to their God-given authority, could find a reason
and justify it because all moms and dads are sinners. By the way, every wife, every wife, if she's looking
for a reason to not submit to her husband, if she looks, I was going to say hard enough and long enough,
but it won't even take that long. If she just looks for a reason, she will find a reason why her husband
does not deserve her respect and authority to submit to her because her husband is a sinner.
By the way, every employer, every employee can find a reason why they don't have to submit to their employer.
Every church member can find a reason why, well, if you knew what my pastor was and what my pastor did
and my pastor is not perfect, look, I'm here to tell you something. Every relationship where there's
leadership and submission, you can find a reason why not to submit. And here's what I tell young men,
if you don't think she'll find the flaw in you, she will. Well, my father this and it's going to be my husband this
and it's going to be my pastor this and it's going to be my and you men that have the same attitude,
it's my boss this. Let me explain something to you. Submission is not
hingent upon the flawlessness of the human authority. It is a response to a flawless God.
You say, why should a young lady and a young man submit to their mom and dad as their spiritual authority?
Not because their mom and dad are perfect but because God is. Why should a wife submit herself to her husband?
Not because her husband is perfect but because God is high and God is holy and God is lifted up.
Why should you men submit to the authority of your boss at work and not complain and not criticize
and not gossip about him? It's not because they're perfect. It's because God's perfect.
It's because God has placed them as human authority over your life. See, if you have a high view of God,
you will understand that submitting to flawed human authority is a response to a holy God.
Colossians 3.23, and whatsoever you do. Don't miss it. And whatsoever you do.
We're not even talking about young people with their parents, wives with their husbands, workers at work,
or church members in a church setting. Oh no, whatsoever you do. This isn't just anything.
Whatever you do, do it heartily. Don't miss it. As to the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord,
ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance. Notice, for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Ultimately, you will answer to God. Ultimately, the chain of command leads up to a holy God.
So if we got a high view of God, if we got a high view of God, it would produce proper standards.
We would be concerned with what is acceptable to God. We would not be concerned with what we could get away with.
We would not be concerned between choosing the good and the bad. We'd be concerned with choosing the good and the best.
If we got a high view of God, we'd understand the proper view of submission, that there is a chain of command
that ultimately leads to God. And because there is a chain of command that ultimately leads to God,
all submission is ultimately to God. And submitting to flawed human authority is in response to a holy God.
And the fact that your husband is not everything he's supposed to be, or your boss is not everything he's supposed to be,
or your pastor is not everything he's supposed to be, or your father or your mother are not everything they're supposed to be,
is a flawed argument because all human authority is flawed. And so are you. And you will reap what you sow.
Number three. Go to Job 42. Job 42. If you open your Bible just right in the center, you'll more than likely fall in Psalms.
Right before Psalms, you have the book of Job. A high view of God produces proper standards.
A high view of God produces proper submission. Here's number three. A high view of God produces a proper view of self.
You know why you can't be corrected? Can we just be honest? The livestream's off. No one will see it.
You know why your pastor can't get up here and correct you? And you take it with the right attitude and proper attitude?
You have too big a view of yourself. Same reason your boss can't correct you. Same reason your dad can't correct you.
Same reason your husband can't correct you. See, a high view of God, number three, produces a proper view of self.
It's interesting to me that whenever you see these people in the Bible and they get a view of God, it's always highlighted for us in that same passage the immediate view of self.
Let me just show you some examples real quickly. Job 42, look at verse one. Remember Job? Remember Job? He was talking real big, him and his three friends.
And then God shows up. And before God, and look, Job was a perfect man. He did not sin with his mouth. He did not charge God foolishly.
But before God showed up, he had all these things. If God was here, I'd ask him this. If God was here, I'd do that.
I'd make him explain. I'd put him on the stand and I'd make him answer. And then God shows up.
Job 42, verse one, then Job answered the Lord and said, and we're skipping the view of God, it's a tornado.
And God shows up. Remember those verses? He says, Job, let's play 21 questions.
But it's more like 120 questions. Where were you when I created this? Where were you when I created that?
Where were you when I set the foundation of the earth? Where were you when I put all these things into existence?
And when I put the stars in the sky? When I had the oceans formed? Where were you?
Here's a response. Job 42, verse one. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know.
Notice, I know that thou canst do everything. You know what that is? It's a high view of God.
And that no thought can be withholding from thee. You know what that is? That's a high view of God.
You know what a high view of God produces? It produces this.
That God is watching you even when your parents aren't watching you.
That God is watching you even when your spouse isn't there.
That God is watching you even when pastors aren't there.
That God's watching you and that you should be working hard even when your boss isn't there.
I know that thou canst do everything. And that no thought can be withholding from thee.
Notice verse three. Notice the self perspective when you get a view of God.
Notice what Job says. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?
Therefore, notice what Job says. Therefore have I uttered that I understood not.
Job says, all those things I was talking about God, I didn't know what I was saying.
Therefore have I uttered that I understood not. Things too wonderful for me which I knew not.
Here I beseech thee and I will speak. I will demand of thee and declare unto me.
Notice verse five he says, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear.
But now mine eye seeth thee. See, Job got a high view. Job got a proper view.
Job got a high, holy, lifted up view of God. And here was the result.
Verse six, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.
You know why Job didn't sin? Job didn't have to repent.
But when he got a high view of God, he said, I hate myself and whatever I've done I repent Lord.
I'm just here to tell you something. When you get a high view of God,
in light of God, you know what we realize? That we're sinners.
That I'm just a sinner saved by grace. That I'm not anything worth mentioning.
And like Job, you and I would say, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.
It's not just Job. Go to Isaiah. Isaiah chapter six. Remember we saw that?
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms and Psalms in Isaiah.
We read the verses, verses one through four. I saw also the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up.
The seraphims, each of them had six wings. One cried unto another and said,
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory.
Remember, Isaiah got that high view of God. But notice, when Isaiah got a high view of God,
in light of God, he also got a proper view of himself and of his sinfulness.
Notice verse five, then said I, here's Isaiah's response to a high view of God.
Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips
and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.
I'm just telling you, if you've got a high view of God, you know what you'd see?
Your own sinfulness. You know what you'd see? Your own need.
You stop thinking so highly about yourself if you've got a high view of God.
It's not just Isaiah. Look at Ezekiel. Ezekiel 1. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations of Ezekiel.
Remember, he says, as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain,
so was the appearance of the brightness round about that was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
And then here's what Ezekiel says. Here's his response. He says, and when I saw it,
I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of one that spake.
See, a high view of God always produces a humble view of self.
A view of God shows you in light of God that we are sinners.
In light of God that we are sinful men.
But secondly, I want to show you. Go to Psalm 131 if you would.
You're there in Ezekiel, just go backwards. Psalm 131.
Not only does a high view of God, in the light of God, we see that we are sinners,
but in the light of God, we make ourselves small.
I love Psalm 131. It's a very short Psalm. There's only three verses.
But I love these three verses. I want you to see them.
Psalm 131, verse 1. Lord, my heart is not haughty.
That word haughty means lifted up. Lord, my heart is not haughty,
nor mine eyes lofty, neither, notice the words,
do I exercise myself in great matters or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved myself and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother.
My soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth forever.
Why don't you notice here that the psalmist David, he says,
my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters
or in things too high for me.
Say, what does that mean? Here's what it means. Remember, we're talking about the chain of command.
We're talking about the hierarchy of God.
In the military, here's how we would put it.
Someone would tell you to do something, or you'd start doing it,
and then somebody would question it.
Should you be doing that? Why are you doing that? Why don't you do it this way?
And the proper response was this. That's above my pay grade.
That's not a decision for me to make. I'm just an airman.
I'm just an airman first class. I'm just a senior airman.
I didn't make the decision. I was just told what to do, and I just do what I'm told.
If you don't like it, you've got to take it up with the bosses.
That's above my pay grade.
You know what David is saying?
He's saying, Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty,
neither do I exercise myself in great matters or in things too high for me.
You know what David is saying? David's the king of Israel, and he's saying, that's above my pay grade.
They asked David, why are we doing this? Why are we following that?
Why do we have that law? Why do we have that rule? Why do we have that position?
Why are you deciding to leave the church? He says, you know what? That's above my pay grade.
You need to take that up with God. I don't exercise myself, and matter is too high for me.
Some of you need to get a high view of God.
And when somebody asks you, well, couldn't you do X, Y, and Z? That's above my pay grade.
You've got to take that up with my dad. You've got to take that up with my husband.
You've got to take that up with pastor. You've got to take that up with my boss.
You've got to take that up with God.
See, a high view of God produces a small view of self.
Now, I want you to notice, here we have David, the king of Israel, a man after God's own heart,
the young lad that stood up and killed Goliath in the presence of God.
Here's how he describes himself. Verse 2,
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother.
My soul is even as a weaned child.
Where we have David, this mighty warrior, the sweet psalmist of Israel,
the greatest king that the nation of Israel has ever seen, and he says in comparison to God,
I'm a baby. I'm a child. I have quieted myself.
I don't exercise myself and matter is too high for me.
Here's how John said it. He must increase, but I must decrease.
See, the problem that many people have in their Christian life, go to Exodus. We'll finish up here.
The problem that many Christians, I shouldn't say most, but many Christians have in their Christian life is this,
they're too big for their own good.
You don't pray, not my will, but thine be done. You pray my will, period.
I don't care what God says. I'm not going to do what the Bible tells me to do.
I'm not going to go to soul winning. I'm not going to tithe. I'm not going to be faithful to church.
I'm not going to submit to my husband. I'm not going to submit to my, I don't care.
I'm in charge. And that's the problem. You don't have a high view of God.
Because a high view of God would produce proper standards.
A high view of God would produce proper submission.
A high view of God would produce a proper view of self.
He must increase. I must decrease.
Why do you do that? Because he must increase and I must decrease and God is in charge and God told me to do it.
And that's all that matters.
Pastor, what are you trying to tell us tonight? Here's what I'm trying to tell you.
Get a high view of God.
Why don't you begin to see God as high, holy, and lifted up?
It'll fix your standards.
It'll help you with your submission.
It'll help you get a view, a proper view of self.
Exodus chapter 3. I love this passage. I'm going to show you one passage in Exodus.
One passage in Joshua and we'll finish up.
These are two passages that again highlight for us a high view of God.
I love it. Notice Exodus 3 verse 1.
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian.
And he led the flock to the backside of the desert.
And came to the mountain of God, even Horeb, and the angel Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire.
You know the story.
Moses has ran away from Egypt because he killed a man.
He spent 40 years in Egypt. Now he spent 40 years on the backside of the desert.
And as he's back there, the angel Lord appears unto him in a flame of fire, verse 2, out of the midst of a bush.
And he looked and behold, the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed.
Remember what we saw in Hebrews? Our God is a consuming fire.
You know that God wants to consume you?
But when God consumes you, he won't burn you out.
He'll empower you.
Notice verse 3, Moses said,
I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.
He said, he sees this bush, it's on fire. He said, it's burning.
He must have watched it for a while and said, that bush is burning, but it's not consumed.
It's not burning up.
He said, I'm going to turn aside and see this great sight.
Notice verse 4.
And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see,
God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said,
Moses, Moses.
And he said, here am I.
And he said, draw not thy hither.
Draw not thy hither.
Look at this beautiful picture.
Put off thy shoes from off thy feet,
for the place where on thou standest this holy ground.
You know what's holy ground?
Wherever God is.
People like to talk about the nation of Israel over there as the holy land.
The funny thing is that this is in Arabia.
Mount Horeb, Mount Sinai.
Yet God told Moses,
take thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
Because God was there and wherever God is, because God is high, holy, lifted up.
Wherever God is, it's high and it's holy and it's lifted up.
I'm here to tell you something.
That same God indwells you in the person of the Holy Spirit.
I wonder how it would change your life if you began to see your home as a place that is holy ground.
If you began to see this church house, yes, next to a methadone clinic.
By a bunch of homeless people down in Del Paso Heights as a place that is holy ground.
Because this is where God meets with God's people.
What if you got a high view of God?
I'm not saying take your shoes off. Please don't.
I've already got enough attacks.
Apparently there's a major attack against me about some guy showing up with no shoes on
and I kicked him out of church.
Something that a lot of our haters bring up about me.
That didn't happen.
Or if it happened, I didn't know about it.
It was the ushers or whatever.
I mean, I probably would have kicked him out, but it didn't happen.
So just don't take your shoes off, please.
Joshua chapter 5. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua.
Joshua chapter 5.
I just want you to see, look, God is very careful.
God is very careful about making sure that we see him in the right view.
You fast forward from Moses to Joshua, the next leader of Israel.
Joshua 5 and verse 13, the Bible says,
And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho.
Joshua was out in a field praying, meditating before they go in to take Jericho.
And he lifted up his eyes and looked and behold,
there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand.
And Joshua went unto him and said unto him,
I want you to understand that Joshua sees this man.
This is what we would call a Theophany or a Christophany.
It's an Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
God in the flesh appearing to Joshua.
And when God appears to Joshua,
Joshua asks God the same question that you and I like to ask God.
And it is this, Art thou for us or for our adversaries?
God are you for me or against me?
Are you here to help me or hurt me?
Help me or hinder me?
Art thou for us or against us?
Art thou for us or for our adversaries?
I love the answer. I love the answer he gets.
Because he asks this question, are you for us or against us?
And then the answer, verse 14, and he said, nay.
Are you for us or against us?
And he says, no.
And I'm sure Joshua's confused. He's like, I didn't ask you a yes or no question.
I didn't ask yes or no. I asked are you for us or are you against us?
And here we have the Old Testament appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And he says, I know you're asking whether I'm here to help you or hurt you.
Am I here to help you or am I here to help your enemies?
And I know you're wanting to know that answer, but the proper answer to that question is nay.
The proper answer to that question is no.
The proper answer to the question, look, you and I like to ask the same question.
God, are you going to bless me? God, are you going to help me?
God, are you going to help me against my enemies?
God, are you for me or against me?
And God says, no, but as captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come?
When the question is asked, God, are you for me or against me?
The answer is, neither. I'm here to take over.
I'm not here to be for you and I'm not here to be against you.
I'm here because I'm the hierarchy.
I'm here to run the show.
See, in your Christian life, you say, is God for me or against me?
God says, I'm here to run things.
As the captain of the host of the Lord, am I now come?
Joshua fell on his face to the earth.
It's consistent. It's consistent throughout the whole Bible.
When people get a high view of God, they get a low view of self.
Joshua fell on his face on the earth and did worship and said unto him,
What saith my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord of hosts said unto Joshua,
don't miss it, lose thy shoes from off thy foot for the place whereon thou standest is holy.
And Joshua did so.
I'm just telling you, if you got a high view of God, it would change your life.
If you got a high view of God, it would change where you go, what you do, what you say,
how you treat people.
It would change the way you see yourself.
If you could change the way you see your God.
That's why I said I have a word of prayer.
Lord, I pray you'd help us.
I pray you'd help us to get a high view of God.
Like John did.
Like Isaiah did.
Like Ezekiel did.
Like Job did.
Like Moses did.
Like Joshua did.
He's a wonderful man.
They got a high view of God.
It'll change your standards.
It'll change our submission.
It'll change our view of self.
Lord, help us to walk out of here determined to see God high, holy, and lifted up.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray. Amen.